GM Moves To Secure Aluminum Supplies For Next-Gen Pickups

With the reveal of the 2015 Ford F-150, the Blue Oval has announced to the world that it’s betting big on aluminum vehicles. The F-150 is America’s best-selling vehicle, after all, which means Ford is going to need a whole lot of aluminum to build them. With weight savings of up to 700 pounds, it’s easy to see why Ford went this route, and it has other automakers scrambling to secure their own aluminum supplies.

Automotive News reports that General Motors has signed aluminum supply deals with two major dealers, Alcoa and Novelis, and plans to release redesigned pickups around 2018 with aluminum bodies of its own.

Ford’s move is the boldest yet in a race to crank up the fuel economy of full-size pickups. The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel uses a 3.0 liter turbo diesel engine to achieve as much as 28 MPG on the highway, and the mostly aluminum-bodied F-150 is aiming for a 30 MPG fuel economy rating overall. That would put it on par with the Ram EcoDiesel, while leaving GM in the dust with its low-20s MPG ratings.

GM executives aren’t worried though, as they’re launching a pair of redesigned mid-size pickups next year with the 2015 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. Both vehicles will be available with a 2.8-liter Duramax diesel engine that should rival, or exceed that of the Ram 1500, and within five years GM will launch a pair of redesigned, aluminum pickups.

In the meantime though, Ford and Chrysler seem to be steps ahead of GM in the battle for pickup fuel economy. These new aluminum pickups can’t come soon enough.